Resolving javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed Error?

Question

Edit :- Tried to format the question and accepted answer in more presentable way at mine Blog

Here is the original issue.

Answer 1

javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target

• When I got the error, I tried to Google out the meaning of the expression and I found, this issue occurs when a server changes their HTTPS SSL certificate, and our older version of java doesn’t recognize the root certificate authority (CA).

• If you can access the HTTPS URL in your browser then it is possible to update Java to recognize the root CA.

• In your browser, go to the HTTPS URL that Java could not access. Click on the HTTPS certificate chain (there is lock icon in the Internet Explorer), click on the lock to view the certificate.

• Go to “Details” of the certificate and “Copy to file”. Copy it in Base64 (.cer) format. It will be saved on your Desktop.

• Install the certificate ignoring all the alerts.

• This is how I gathered the certificate information of the URL that I was trying to access.

Now I had to make my java version to know about the certificate so that further it doesn’t refuse to recognize the URL. In this respect I must mention that I googled out that root certificate information stays by default in JDK’s \jre\lib\security location, and the default password to access is: changeit.

To view the cacerts information the following are the procedures to follow:

• Click on Start Button-->Run

• Type cmd. The command prompt opens (you may need to open it as administrator).

• Go to your Java/jreX/bin directory

• Type the following

keytool -list -keystore D:\Java\jdk1.5.0_12\jre\lib\security\cacerts

It gives the list of the current certificates contained within the keystore. It looks something like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\NeelanjanaG>keytool -list -keystore D:\Java\jdk1.5.0_12\jre\lib\security\cacerts

Enter keystore password: changeit

Keystore type: jks

Keystore provider: SUN

Your keystore contains 44 entries

verisignclass3g2ca, Mar 26, 2004, trustedCertEntry,

Certificate fingerprint (MD5): A2:33:9B:4C:74:78:73:D4:6C:E7:C1:F3:8D:CB:5C:E9

entrustclientca, Jan 9, 2003, trustedCertEntry,

Certificate fingerprint (MD5): 0C:41:2F:13:5B:A0:54:F5:96:66:2D:7E:CD:0E:03:F4

thawtepersonalbasicca, Feb 13, 1999, trustedCertEntry,

Certificate fingerprint (MD5): E6:0B:D2:C9:CA:2D:88:DB:1A:71:0E:4B:78:EB:02:41

addtrustclass1ca, May 1, 2006, trustedCertEntry,

Certificate fingerprint (MD5): 1E:42:95:02:33:92:6B:B9:5F:C0:7F:DA:D6:B2:4B:FC

verisignclass2g3ca, Mar 26, 2004, trustedCertEntry,

Certificate fingerprint (MD5): F8:BE:C4:63:22:C9:A8:46:74:8B:B8:1D:1E:4A:2B:F6

• Now I had to include the previously installed certificate into the cacerts.

• For this the following is the procedure:

keytool –import –noprompt –trustcacerts –alias ALIASNAME -file FILENAME_OF_THE_INSTALLED_CERTIFICATE -keystore PATH_TO_CACERTS_FILE -storepass PASSWORD

If you are using Java 7:

keytool –importcert –trustcacerts –alias ALIASNAME -file PATH_TO_FILENAME_OF_THE_INSTALLED_CERTIFICATE -keystore PATH_TO_CACERTS_FILE -storepass changeit

• It will then add the certificate information into the cacert file.

It is the solution I found for the Exception mentioned above!!